“You always knew how to make me laugh!” The demon sneered, tapping the walls with something metallic.

“Well, you aren’t that difficult to crack.” Alice retorted, “One drop of blood is all that’s needed for you to lick your lips.”

This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening! What the hell is happening!

Ah, wake me up now! This place must be a dream! And with Alice being here, it just proves that this isn’t reality! After all, she’s…

“Well I can’t help it!” The demon howled. “Your blood is just so…. glamorous. Everything about you is disgustingly pretty. Wouldn’t it be selfish to keep this beauty for yourself? Why not share it with me!”

With a loud shriek, an even louder slam followed, the sound of wood being smashed into.

“Shut up you ugly hag.”

And with Alice’s words, a yellow light beamed from the other side, leaking through the crevices of the door.

Bang!

An explosion blasted the door wide open, the walls collapsing on top of me.

Having to think fast, I rolled upwards and slid below the half broken janitor’s desk which is surprisingly still standing.

Glancing up from the desk, a giant crater was made with debris piling on the ground around. My eyes widened at the scene unfolding in front of me.

Alice i-is injured!

Blood streaked down her arm while her other hand was made into a finger gun, aiming it forward. Alice’s clothes were stained with dirt and blood. Her hair disheveled with her purple hairband missing. I could see her body going up and down, taking quick breaths. She stayed standing there, hanging her head low while her hair covered her face.

What can I do? If I go out there then that thing will catch me. I’m scared. But Alice is out there…

I clenched my teeth, continuing to observe the heavy atmosphere. My hands shaking below me.

The crater only presented me with a view of Alice. I have no idea where that thing went. All I could see through the gaps were two small puddles of blood. One below Alice and one across from her.

As if my mind was being read, a being smashed down in front of me.Mg heart beating so loud it felt like it would notice at any second and turn to kill me!

I must’ve lost at least twenty years off my life with the way my heart jumped.

Now staring at the back of the demon, I could tell it was a rather small girl. It wore a tattered white collared uniform with a red skirt…

Similar to my uniform.

The socks were uneven and the shoes were close to coming apart as if they were worn for years. A gut wrenching feeling built up inside me as a blade dripping with blood appeared beside her, held by the demon in front of me who has yet to notice my presence.

“Foolish, how can you hit something you can’t see!” The demon laughed hysterically.

Alice can’t see? Why can’t she see!

Taking a closer look at Alice, her eyes were indeed closed! She turned this way and pointed her finger gun towards the demon.

Why are your eyes closed! And you called me dumb! Ah! Is this the confidence of a genius?

“Haha! I see you’re all looks with no brain! Usually everyone like you is just the same! You don’t deserve such a pretty face. Now then, give it to me, Alice!”

With a burst of explosive power, the demon in front of me vanished in a blink of an eye and appeared right above Alice’s body.

With my hand over my mouth, my eyes stinging with sweat with the feeling of puking becoming more apparent.

I’m going to throw up, w-what is that thing! Is that supposed to be… me?

This can’t be me!

Her hair is cut unevenly. Parts sticking out while the bangs were zig-zag across her face. And speaking of her face… red lipstick heavily applied with the outlines going extremely off the lips.

To try and have the look of fuller lips, this version looked like something a clown would have. Overshadowing her mouth entirely!

Not even just her lips but all the makeup were applied as if a toddler drew on her face for amusement. Only one word could describe the person in front of me.

Disgusting.

***

“Alice, watch out!” I screamed with all my might as the demon got ready to slice her up.

With swift movement, Alice twirled around the incoming blade and dodged the attack.

Why are her eyes still closed? Is something wrong? Did her eyes get hit when I wasn’t looking?

To my surprise, the demon didn’t pay any attention to my presence, getting ready to send off another attack with her silver blade.

The demon lifted up her sword and brought down a heavy strike towards Alice’s direction.

Gripping the collar of my shirt, I wanted to scream again. Instead, I closed my eyes in anticipation of the horrifying scene. However… all I could hear is the sound of wind being cut.

Peeking with one eye open, Alice waited for every heavy strike and right before it touched her, she would pivot her foot to dodge it.

She’s amazing! Really amazing! As expected of Alice, there’s nothing she cannot do! Even ‘dream Alice’ is just as dazzling.

Seemingly frustrated, the demon changed posture and instead began to send a flurry of thrusts towards Alice!

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“Watch out! Alice, she’s getting faster!” I yelled out.

Keeping my eyes fixated, her face remained steady. Her braided hair whisked in the wind with each step she took. She’s dancing. Her movement seemed elegant and refined as she dodged every attack.

“A fairy…” whispering under my breath.

Clutching the hem of my skirt, sweat dropped down my brow. Feeling the fast beating of my heart with each near miss thrusted at Alice.

Even if this is a dream… even so… I- I can’t—

A smirk appeared across the demon’s hideous face.

What’s she planning?

My ears perked up to the sound of metal scratching behind me.

Turning around, a small metal blade is lodged into the wall behind me. With blood splattered underneath it, it must be what wounded Alice the first time!

The blade began shaking furiously, as if trying to pull itself out.

What is with this weird thing? Does it have a mind of its own? Or…

And as my thoughts connected, my hand reached out to pull it.

I’m late!

The blade dislodged itself and at an incredible speed, aimed directly for Alice!

“Alice!” Yelling with all my might.

She turned towards me and opened her big auburn eyes. The blade shooting towards Alice, she would be too slow to react to it!

She’s going to get hit! No, no! She’s going to—

Stumbling up to my feet, I desperately reached my hand out. Wanting to extend my arms so I can grab the stupid thing!

I want to go faster! I need to catch it!

“I can’t lose you! Not again!”

I tumbled down onto the floor and watched with blurry vision as my hand reached out to where Alice is standing. It may have been my imagination but for some reason, I thought, for a second, she was smiling.

As the blade hurtled towards my best friend, tears filled my eyes as my desperation reached its absolute limit.

“Stop! Enough! Enough! Please, stop!” I shrieked like a banshee, shutting my eyes and letting my head fall onto the ground.

“I've had enough! You hear me? I’m done! Wake up! Get me out of here! I can’t handle this anymore!” My voice cracking from the yelling.

I want to hide. I want to go back to my room. Why am I here? Being alone is the best thing after all. No one can hurt me. No one can be hurt. No one can… abandon me.

As I sobbed and sobbed, my arms wipe every tear from my eyes. But… something is wrong. Trying to hold back my tears, I propped myself up. Only sniffles could be heard as I continued to rub my eyes. Besides my sniffling though, not a single sound could be heard. Silence enveloping everything around me as my sniffling eventually came to a halt as well.

Hesitantly opening my eyes, I expected to see a gruesome scene in front of me. Instead, what I saw made me even more confused than I already am.

The scene in front of me was...still.

Alice frozen while staring in my direction as the blade hovered an inch away from her face. With a big smile plastered from ear to ear, she seemed to be looking past the blade and staring only at me.

Next to her is the demon with the sword, her unoccupied hand reaching for the small blade as if controlling it and making it come to her.

The scene in front of me is perfectly still. A still image. As if everything was one giant picture.

I walked forward slowly, confused and scared with everything that’s happening.

“Alice… Alice! How can I save her!” I mumbled loudly to myself.

“Do you wish to save her?” Echoed a strange voice in my head.

Startled, I looked around, scanning the area around me. Floating behind me at arms reach, was a black furred cat. Smiling at me with its tilting head. A star shaped symbol seemed to be pressed between its eyes on the forehead.

Without a second thought or questioning the creature, I balled up my hands and firmed my voice.

“Yes! Save her! I wish to save her.”

The cat jumped up and over my head, landing in mid air beside the blade.

“Very well, your wish…”

It reached out its paw and touched the blade, making it dissolved into thin air.

“Is granted.” It echoed once more in my head, however, its mouth never moved from that smile.

As the blade dissolved, so did that cat, vanishing without a trace.

Within a few moments, everything around me started returning to its color. The ticking of a clock could be heard on the wall and just like that, Alice’s eyes widened as a sword came to slash at us both!

Her hand reached out as if it is in slow motion. My eyes fixated on the familiar smile in front of me.

“Miko!” She yelled, tackling me onto the ground.

“A-Alice, you’re alright! Thank goodness…” I stuttered.

I don’t care if this is a dream. Alice won’t die.

“What did you do?” Alice asked in a stern voice.

Her eyes were firm, changing from the soft smile just a moment ago.

“I-I… this cat came and did something!”

I have no idea what that thing was. All I know, is that Alice is safe.

“Tsk, so it’s here.” The demon girl sneered from behind.

Looking at her eyes, she seemed to be scanning the area all around us.

“This is annoying.... Next time I’ll be wearing your face in the end! Keep it nice for me.” The demon girl cursed, sprinting down the hall abruptlyand through the door.

Clutching at my chest, my breathing didn’t seem to let up.

Why would she leave? We were right here in the open for her… she just ran away. Why?

“She should be gone… Miko I thin—“

With those words from Alice, I couldn’t help but let my head fall onto her shoulder.

“Alice, you’re safe.. You’re safe.” I cried out, clutching at her blouse. “I thought I was going to lose you again.”

I could hear Alice let out a low sigh as a hand fell onto the back of my head, stroking my hair.

“What am I to do with you?” She said in an oddly comforting way.

Ring… Ring… Dong… Ring…

The sound of a school bell could be heard. Like the ones from Sunday Mass.

“It’s your time to go, Miko.” Alice whispered.

She cupped my head between her hands and gave me that all too familiar smile. Wiping the tears from my eyes, she brought her face in closer until her forehead was touching mine.

This really is… Alice.

“Sayonara!”

And with that, the world around me began to twist. Everything became deformed as Alice started to get more and more distant.

“No! Come with me!”

No matter how loud I shouted, the world twisted and twisted until everything became dark.

“Don’t leave!”

My eyes suddenly opened as I shot upright. My hand still reaching forward as if Alice was in front of me. Only this time… I am sitting on top of my bed.

T-this is my room.

Everything is silent as I felt the perspiration leak down my neck. Tears streamed from my eyes and onto my lips, tasting the saltiness. I sat there silently crying, looking at my outreached hand.

“What’s going on!” Mother shouted, barging into my room and then turning on the light.

Her face turning soft as soon as her eyes met with mine.

At that moment, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. All I could do is let out my tears silently.

My voice leaked out as mother came to embrace me, giving me comforting words with each stroke of the hair.

Without holding back, I wept and wept until I lost the reason for why I am crying in the first place.

All I could remember is the smile on the face of a girl who was once by my side.

That night I cried until I fell asleep.

The reality that became a dream, I met her. Where are you?

Alice.